His Red Haired Doctor
by cecilymsmith
Summary: Pre Scrubs. “There was one other girl a few years ago: Red Haired Doctor. She used to eat lunch with me until the other residents started making fun of her. Called her “Janitor Lunch Eater”. Not the most clever group.” JanitorXOC, OCXOC.
1. The Beginning

**To whom it may concern:**

Being a huge fan of unrequited love, I adore the Janitor/Elliot ship. Intrigued by what relationship he might have had with the mysterious red-haired doctor (and my major lack of ideas for a decent Janitor/Elliot fic), I thought I'd write my version of it.

The original intention was for this to be written in the style of the program, but unless you write a transcript it doesn't really work. Therefore, for a happy medium, the story is written straight with the occasional "thought" in italics. There are three short chapters planned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Scrubs.

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**Chapter 1 – The Beginning**

Janitor sat in the cafeteria pretending to read a magazine entitled "Medicine Today". He'd spent the entire morning cleaning up all the mistakes a young surgeon had been making. It wasn't much; a spill here, a piece of rubbish there, but the nuisance had been doing it on purpose, Janitor was sure of it.

He watched the surgeon intently over the top of the magazine as he entered the cafeteria.

_Big-Eared Surgeon: Prepare to meet thy doom._

Bending down, he picked up his brown paper bag off the floor.

"Do you mind if I sit here?"

Janitor looked up to see who had spoken. A small, red-haired doctor in blue scrubs stood across the table from him, clutching a Tupperware lunchbox to her chest. He glanced over his shoulder, but to his surprise she was talking to him. Janitor turned back and gave her a critical look.

"Sit." He commanded, placing the paper bag on the table. The red-haired doctor perched herself on the plastic cafeteria chair as Janitor searched out the surgeon who had disappeared from sight. Pulling the magazine up to his face, he continued to pretend reading.

_Damn it. How did he leave so quickly?__ Perhaps he's invented a teleporting watch... _

A whole minute had passed before Janitor noticed that she still hadn't opened her lunch but was merely running her fingers over the plastic lid and staring attentively in his direction.

"What do you want?" Janitor asked, strictly. She jumped out of her trance and blushed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," She simpered. "I was just looking at that surgeon over there. He's been following my group of rounds all day. Do you know his name?" Janitor glanced over his shoulder to where she was pointing to see the same surgeon queuing for his lunch.

"Big-Eared Surgeon!" He growled, menacingly.

_Fool me once, shame__ on you__. Walk out on my stalking you once, you're going to die._

He faced the red-haired doctor again, and she blushed some more.

"He does not have big ears!" She scolded. Her gaze returned to the surgeon for a moment. "It's his hair; it makes them look bigger. Who are you to talk, anyway?"

"I'm the Janitor." He stated cheerfully, returning to his magazine.

"My parents were janitors!" She exclaimed. Janitor raised his eyebrows. None of the other doctors seemed to even consider it a serious career. "They wanted me to go down that career path, but I was just drawn to medicine. They were a little disappointed to say the..." she trailed off. "I'm joking: I was trying to make conversation."

_Okay, this is the one you've bee__n__ practising._

Janitor gave her the evil eye. The smile quickly vanished from her face.

_That'__s it, w__atch her crumble._

"Oh God, no, I didn't mean any offence! I was just trying to break the ice." He snapped his magazine open in annoyance and buried his head as deeply in it as possible.

_Bingo!_

There was an uncomfortable silence. The red-haired doctor picked up her lunch and went to stand.

"Sit." Janitor commanded, to which she sat immediately. "Just for that you have to spend the rest of your lunchtime with me."

_Now to finish the job. __W__ait for it..._

She paused for a moment and then slowly peeled off the plastic lid to her lunch. Pulling out her sandwiches she gave them a suspicious sniff.

"Tuna." She murmured. "If my mum insists to continue packing my lunch she could at least remember that I'm allergic to seafood." The red-haired doctor dropped the sandwiches back in the lunchbox.

_And there's the opening. Go! Go! Go!_

"Your mum packs your lunch?" Janitor sneered. "What are you? Six?"

_Nice one!_

"Hey! I only took seven gap years," She pointed at him ensuring that he was never going to mention her age again. "I was finding myself, but I'm just as 'young' and vital as the other interns! As for my mum, it's only temporary!" She replied sharply. "I just need to get on my feet and I'll move out!" She pulled the change out of her pocket and feverishly counted it. "I can just afford half an apple, I wonder if..."

_Oh my God, does she always just say what she thinks out loud? Quick, think of something to shut her up._

"You can swap with me if you like." Janitor patted the paper bag. The red-haired doctor beamed at him.

"Thank you! What have you got?" She leant forwards to take the bag off him but he snatched it back.

_Actually, I did__n__'t think this through._

"If I told you that it would ruin the thrill of the swap." Reluctantly, he offered the bag to her again. She smiled briefly and took the bag, pushing her lunchbox towards him. Cautiously, she unfolded the top and pulled out the contents.

"A hammer with a spoon tied to its handle." She stated, rolling it over in her hand. "Yummy."

"Today, you lose." Janitor mumbled through the tuna sandwiches. "Thrilling, huh?" Feeling thoroughly pleased with himself, he continued to eat the sandwich, watching the red-haired doctor as she replaced the spoon-hammer back into the paper bag.

_Is she smiling?__ She's not meant to smile._

"I'll just get that apple then," she stated. She walked over to the serving hatch, passing the big-eared surgeon. They exchanged a quick hello, and Janitor watched as he walked straight up to him.

_Oh, boy, here he comes._

"Mind if I...?"

"Keep moving, Buster."

_Nice._

The surgeon continued to walk as the red-haired doctor returned to the table with half an apple.

"I went halfsies with a patient." She explained and took a bite. "So, are you alright?" Janitor looked up at her from his magazine.

"You're new here aren't you?" He asked. She nodded as she chewed on her apple. Janitor watched as she ate the rest of it. She didn't say anything else.

_I should say something. Tell her she looks like a chipmunk... No__, that's not right._

Swallowing the last bite of her apple she beamed at him.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She picked up her lunchbox and stood up.

"Tomorrow?" Janitor repeated.

"For lunch." She gave him a wink. "Bye!" She threw her apple-core in the bin and bounced off.

"Bye." Janitor spoke to himself, feeling a little warm inside.

_See y__ou tomorrow, Red-Haired Doctor._

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**A.N.** Reviews, both good and bad, are welcomed! I hope to get the next chapter up soon. 


	2. The Middle

**Chapter 2 – The Middle**

Janitor sat at the cafeteria table, grasping the brown paper bag in his hand. His eyes were fixed on the door waiting for his friend to meet him for lunch. She was very rarely this late for their lunch appointment, and Janitor was starting to get a little worried that Big-Eared Surgeon might have warned her off him.

_Come on... Come on..._

A few moments later, she bounded into the room, her white coat flapping behind her and her plastic lunch box neatly tucked under her arm. Janitor silently let out the breath he was holding. She strode up to the table.

"Janitor," She nodded to him and sat down.

"Red-Haired Doctor," He replied in the same tone. "Good day?"

"Well," She sighed deeply. "My interns are giving me hell, but I've finally managed to work out what was wrong with Mrs Horton and she'll be out of here by the weekend! You?"

"I managed to avoid cleaning the second floor bathroom; I hid Chief-Doctor's stethoscope and I switched the salt and sugar just as Big-Eared Surgeon was making himself a coffee." There was an almighty noise from the other end of the cafeteria as a very salty sip of coffee was spat out and the mug smashed on the floor. "The usual." The red-haired doctor rolled her eyes and grabbed his lunch bag from him.

"Hey, hey!" He protested, pulling the bag back. "You haven't even looked at what your mother's packed for you yet!"

"Whatever happened to 'the thrill of the swap'?" She smiled and passed her lunch box to the Janitor and placed a hand on his arm. "Besides, I'll be making my own sandwiches very soon. I'm moving out this weekend!"

_No house rules? Duet Squirrel Stuffing Thursdays here we come!_

"You've got your own place!" He congratulated her. "I'll come over and kill all of the wild racoons in your basement or at least tame them."

"No, I'm moving in with my boyfriend."

_Oh great... __So much for my plans._

She pulled the contents out of the brown paper bag. It was a tongue depressor with raspberry jelly spread on the end. Shrugging, she began to lick the jelly off.

"I see." Janitor took a bite of his turkey sandwich. He never had a problem with the fact that his friend had got a boyfriend, but now that they were moving in together he could feel his mind changing. She swallowed the jelly, noticing him shuffling in his chair and she quickly changed the subject.

"I had the greatest idea for one of your inventions," She sat back in her chair and waved the tongue depressor about to mime the thought. "Okay, so it's a pair of chopsticks – that's also a screwdriver." There was a long pause.

_Actually that not that bad..._

"That is the most stupid idea I have ever heard." The Janitor told her, frankly, taking great pleasure in the change of her expression.

"No, no," She continued, excitedly. "Hear me out: Whenever I'm fixing anything around the house I can only ever find the screwdriver I don't need. The genius with the Screwdriver-Chopsticks is that one chopstick is a Philips and one is a Flathead." She raised her eyebrows and nodded at him. "Yes?"

"Nope, still stupid." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not getting the concept of my inventions. I'm not just taking two objects and sticking them together. They need to have the same aura."

_If she forgets about it I can claim it solely as my own. Janitor's Screwdriver-Chopsticks. I can see the shopping channel advert right now..._

"Just think about it," she smiled at him sweetly, before winking and patting his other hand. Janitor looked over her shoulder at the residents. They were laughing at her. Slightly embarrassed, he snatched his hands back from her and smiled weakly.

_Bunch of __jerks.The__ lot of them, especially the surgeons._

"So, you're moving in with Big-Eared Surgeon." He coughed awkwardly. "My sister moved in with her boyfriend after they'd been dating for eleven months and their house collapsed." She wrinkled her nose.

"You don't think I should move in with him?" She asked, laughing. The Janitor shrugged at her.

"Do you want your house to collapse?" The red-haired doctor rolled her eyes and placed the depressor in her pocket. "Besides, you don't even have a sister; you told me you were an only child."

"Did I?" He thought about it for a moment. "Go figure..." He took the final bite of his sandwich and wiped his fingers down his overalls. "Delicious. How was yours?" She smiled up at him just as the big-eared surgeon walked up behind her. He leant over her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek.

_Did you ask her permission first, Buster? How would you feel if I just came up to you and planted a wet one on your cheek?_

"You're not coming to sit with us, baby?" He asked her, sweetly. She turned around to face him, placing her hands on his cheeks.

"I'll see you later on," She whispered to him. "We're still chatting." The big-eared surgeon nodded with a small grimace. Janitor gave him a large smile.

_Oh, is the surgeon __gonna__ cry just because she'd rather spend her time with the Janitor?_

The big-eared surgeon gave the red-haired doctor another, slightly longer kiss.

"I'll see you tonight, baby." He whispered in her ear, but loudly enough for the Janitor to hear. "Since you're stopping at my place." And with a smirk he turned on his heels and headed to the serving hatch.

"Hey!" One of the residents on the opposite table called out to the red-haired doctor. "What are you doing sitting with that loser?" The Janitor watched her carefully, as she pulled the depressor from her pocket again and twiddled it around in her fingers, staring at the table. "What are you, some kind of... Janitor Lunch-Eater." The residents sniggered amongst each other. Janitor continued to study her face carefully.

_Ignore them. For God's sake, ignore them._

She pressed her lips together briefly and then her eyes flickered back up to Janitor. He tried to read her eyes, but he couldn't tell what she was thinking. She winked at him and then pulled her lunchbox back towards her.

"I've got to get back to my rounds." She grinned at him, and shuffled off her seat.

_Wait, wait don't let her go!_

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?" He called out as she began to walk away.

She turned back to face him, a big beam across her face.

"Oh of course, Janitor!" She took a small step forwards. "Sorry, I've just got some... erm... stuff going on. Tomorrow." She gave him a small wave, and walked out of the cafeteria.

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**A.N.** One more chapter to go. Thanks for the sweet reviews and support so far! 


	3. The End

**Chapter 3 – The End**

Janitor stood on a stepladder once again fixing a reoccurring problem.

_You may have tricked everyone else, Big-Eared Surgeon, but I know it was you that did this._

There was no proof that it was him, he was smarter than that, but it was an obvious act of sabotage. Glancing at his watch, he counted the hours down to his lunch break. He had worked through lunch yesterday but was looking forward to meeting with his Brain Trust, whom he had formed during the last month.

"I couldn't find you in the cafeteria yesterday."

Janitor turned around to see the red-haired doctor standing behind him, dressed in her everyday clothes. He took the screwdriver out of his mouth.

_Oh great. __Just who I wanted to see._

"I've not eaten in there for three months," He grumbled to her. "But you wouldn't have noticed that." He returned to his work. It had been almost four months since she had spoken to him. Her lunch visits had become fewer and fewer until they finally dried up completely just because the residents had continued to make fun of her. The red-haired doctor played with her fingers in the uncomfortable silence.

_Just say what you want to say and go. Don't make this even more awkward that it is._

"I'm leaving." She stated, but Janitor continued with his work. She scratched the back of her head. "I've left, actually. It was my last day yesterday. I'm getting married."

_Married?_

He turned to her and looked at the engagement ring on her finger and the smile on her face. It didn't matter how angry he was this was a big thing for her.

"Congratulations," He stepped down from the step ladder. "I mean that. Big-Eared Surgeon is a very lucky man." He gave her an awkward pat on the shoulder.

"Come here," She stood on her toes and gave him a hug around the chest. "I would really love for you to come to the wedding."

"I would love to come," He told her breaking away from the hug. "On the one condition that I get to have Big-Eared Surgeon's shoes after the ceremony. My cousin needs a new doorstop." She beamed at him and winked.

"I've missed you so much." The red-haired doctor gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "I'm sorry we haven't had lunch together in so long."

"The residents are a bunch of jerks," Janitor pointer his screwdriver at her. "You shouldn't let them get to you."

"They weren't the reason I stopped eating with you." The red-haired doctor looked up at him, the smile fading from her face. "I thought you knew." She looked down at her fingers and leant in towards him.

"You're my best friend, and I love that, but... I suppose I just expected you to make more of a move than that. I mean, you never even stood up for me when the residents did make fun. So when you never asked me to meet up outside of work or anything, I needed some distance before I made a fool of myself." Janitor watched for a moment as she went even redder in the cheeks. He twiddled the screwdriver in his fingers unsure of what to say. "Just like I have now."

_Don't just stand here in silence! Say something to make her feel better._

"But you were dating Big-Eared Surgeon..."

"I'd have dropped him in a second if you'd done anything." She began to blush profusely. "I know that's not what I should've done but..." Janitor rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Is that why you've told me you're getting married, so that I'll..."

"No, no!" She held up her hands in protest, smiling again. "I've had my distance." She swallowed. "I just want your support at my wedding."

_Damn it._

"Just promise me," she touched his hand. "If somebody else feels the way I did, you'll give her a chance." She winked at him.

_I promise._

"I can't believe you and Big-Eared Surgeon are leaving!"

"Oh, a whole new bunch of interns arrived yesterday." She pointed beyond her. "I'm sure you'll find somebody new to annoy."

_Just tell her she can't leave. Not now that you've made up._

"Hey," She interrupted his thought. "Did you wanna grab lunch later?"

"Yeah, that would be great. Here." He patted her on the shoulder and passed her his brown paper lunch bag out of his tool box. "Swap?"

Cautiously she took the bag of him and peeked inside.

"Cheese and onion!" She beamed up at him.

"I'll see you later." Janitor pointed the screwdriver at her again. "I just need to finish fixing this door."

"Again?" She smiled up at him. "I'll see you in the cafeteria." She gave him a wink and turned down the corridor. Janitor turned back to his work.

_You win this round, Big-Eared Surgeon. But you just wait._

He glimpsed over his shoulder to watch her leave when he noticed a young, dark haired intern looking up at him.

"I'm.. I'm waiting for someone," he stammered, nonchalantly.

_Oh, boy._

**A.N.** Thanks to everybody who has read this fic, even more to those who have supported me with reviews! Special thanks to _TheWatcherandReader_ for a correction. My next Scrubs fic is underway...


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